student asking question

Shouldn't it be "shifted" instead of "shift"? Because I thought he is talking about their past that they shifted the hunting ground.

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question! The tiger is referring to the past, insinuating that the other animals have been acting reckless in his absence. However, he has posed his statement as a hypothetical situation. This is a common grammar pattern that is used to express an action + its consequences. Idioms often take this form. Ex. Give an inch and they'll take a mile. Ex. I don't take out the garbage for one day, and the house becomes a mess.

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